Mike Ross (b. August 2, 1961) was a Democratic member of the U.S. House representing Arkansas's 4th congressional district from 2001 to 2013.

Ross did not seek re-election in 2012,[1] opting instead to take a job in the private sector as the senior vice president for government affairs and public relations for Southwest Power Pool. Ross will be succeeded by Tom Cotton, a Republican, who won election to the U.S. House on November 6, 2012.[2]

Committee assignments

U.S. House

2011-2012

Issues

Specific votes

Rep. Ross voted for TARP.[5] According to a Gallup poll from September 13, 2010, 61% of Americans disapprove of TARP, while 37% approve.[6]

Rep. Ross also voted for the auto bailout.[7] As of September 13, 2010: 56% of Americans disapproved of the auto bailout, while 43% supported it.[8]

In addition, Rep. Ross voted for the stimulus bill.[9] 57% of U.S. voters believe that the stimulus has either hurt the economy (36%) or had no impact (21%). 38% believe the stimulus helped the economy. [10]

Finally, Rep. Ross supported the "Cash for Clunkers" bill.[11] According to a June 2009 Rasmussen Reports poll, 54% of likely U.S. voters opposed Cash for Clunkers, while 35% supported it.[12]

Fiscal Cliff

Ross voted for the fiscal cliff compromise bill, which made permanent most of the Bush tax cuts originally passed in 2001 and 2003 while also raising tax rates on the highest income levels. He was one of 172 Democrats that voted in favor of the bill. The bill was passed in the House by a 257/167 vote on January 1, 2013.[13]

Earmarks

A Washington Post investigation in February 2012 revealed that 33 members of Congress helped direct more than $300 million in earmarks to public projects in close proximity to commercial and residential real estate owned by the lawmakers or their family members.[14] According to the report, Ross helped secure about $2.6 million toward the construction of a railroad trestle in Prescott about one-third mile from a building he owns.[15]

Sponsored legislation

Ross is co-sponsoring legislation which would require states to redraw boundaries by using an independent commission. Ross said that redistricting was responsible for making Congress become more partisan by creating fewer competitive districts. He says that the process has created more safe seats for both parties, resulting in fewer moderate lawmakers willing to work with the opposite party. He said, "It used to be that we only did politics on even years and we'd actually make policy on odd years. Now we never make policy. It's politics 24-7 the entire two year term."[16]

Elections

2014

Ross announced in Dec. 2012 that he had decided against running for Governor of Arkansas in 2014. He then re-emerged as a potential candidate following state attorney general and early frontrunner for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination Dustin McDaniel dropped out of the race.[2][17][18]

"Dustin McDaniel getting out of the race has left a huge void which clearly none of the other candidates are filling or I wouldn't be getting all these calls from every corner of the state...I'm humbled by that and I feel a sense of duty and responsibility to the people of this state to at least reconsider my decision and I'm doing that," Ross said at U.S. Sen. Mark Pryor's (D-AR) re-election fundraiser in March 2013.[19]

Analysis

Congressional Staff Salaries

The website Legistorm compiles staff salary information for members of Congress. Ross paid his congressional staff a total of $995,469 in 2011. He ranked 74th on the list of the lowest paid Democratic Representative Staff Salaries and he ranked 265th overall of the lowest paid Representative Staff Salaries in 2011. Overall, Arkansas ranked 38th in average salary for representative staff. The average U.S. House of Representatives congressional staff was paid $954,912.20 in fiscal year 2011.[22]

Net worth

Based on congressional financial disclosure forms and calculations made available by OpenSecrets.org - The Center for Responsive Politics, Ross' net worth as of 2010 was estimated between $128,010 and $479,999. That averages to $304,004.50, which is lower than the average net worth of Democratic Representatives in 2010 of $4,465,875.[23]